Awesome Animal Paintings by Briton Rivière

Briton Rivière (1840 – 1920) was a British painter of Huguenot descent, best known for his animal paintings. Briton was primarily trained by his father William Rivière, who was art master at Cheltenham College before becoming art teacher at the University of Oxford, with Briton studying at both institutions. He also had an uncle named Parsons Rivière who was a successful watercolour artist.

His early work appeared at the British Institution and then he began to show at the Royal Academy. He had well-received paintings dealing with subjects such as the Spanish Armada and Romeo and Juliet, but he realized his passion was to paint animals. However, representing animals then was not as easy as it is today, with an internet full of photographs to quickly use for models. Rivière spoke in an interview in Chums Boys Annual about how he would paint animals:

I have always been a great lover of dogs but I have worked at them so much that I’ve grown tired of having them about me. However, you can never paint a dog unless you are fond of it. I never work from a dog without the assistance of a man who is well acquainted with animals….. Collies, I think, are the most restless dogs….greyhounds are also very restless, and so are fox terriers….. The only way to paint wild animals is to gradually accumulate a large number of studies and a great knowledge of the animal itself, before you can paint its picture…… I paint from dead animals as well as from live ones. I have had the body of a fine lioness in my studio….. I have done a great deal of work in the dissecting rooms at the Zoological Gardens from time to time.”

Rivière became a Royal Academician in 1881 and was almost elected president of the Academy in 1896. He was married to a painter, Mary Alice Rivière, who also briefly exhibited at the Royal Academy. They had seven children, one of whom became a portrait arist.

FidelityThe King DrinksDaniel In The Lions' DenJiltedSympathyDead HectorAssyrian Lion HuntThe Last of the GarrisonFaithfulApollo Playing the LuteCompulsory EducationRus in UrbeThe Long SleepAll That Was Left of the Homeward BoundAphroditeUna and the LionIn Manus Tuas DominePhoebus ApolloOn the Bank of an African RiverPallas Athena And The Herdsmans DogsGiants at PlayTick-TackWatching DogThe SheepstealerThe WelcomeAn Old World WandererAn Anxious MomentMother HubbardPetty LarcenyHope DeferredEndymionWar TimeVying for AttentionAn Exile of the '45A Blockade RunnerThe dog, whom late had granted to behold his lord, when twenty tedious years had rolled takes a last look and having seen him diesThe Mouse Ran Up the ClockThe Last of the CrewSir Lancelot, a BloodhoundPrometheus BoundOld PlayfellowsDevotionCirce and the companions of UlyssesA Legend of Saint PatrickRequiescatA Young Child Holding a SpanielDaniel's Answer to the KingAdonis WoundedSt George and the DragonPlay Fellows

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